[Archived] Credit Crunch To Hit Football?

[Hughesy]

Not patient enough?? Should we just wait until they are 30+ and then decide we have wasted 12 or so years on them??

St Derbyshire & St Gallagher have done jack for us and are simply not good enough - much like most of our back-up players. Stop banging on about our local lads like they are the saviours or something.

Gallagher is on £20k a week and has been playing championship football for the last 2 or 3 years yet he has done nothing, Derbyshire has gone to a poor league and done nothing so far. THEY ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!

[Paul]

You really do talk a load of old codswallop these days. I don't think you have the slightest understanding of what people are referring to here.

[Hughesy]

Go on then Paul... put your twist onto mhead's post and explain.......

[gumboots]

Go on then Paul... put your twist onto mhead's post and explain.......

I agree entirely. The only reason Gallagher etc are given the time of day at ewood is that they are local. sure they might love the club bit it's no guarantee they are good enough to play for it. don't equate love for the club with talent or we'd all be playing for rovers. Beattie I think might have made it but even then there are no guarantees and leaving the club might have been the making of him. We need players with a bit of passion yes but I'm sure i read someone say how well samba played last night and he is certainly not a local lad.

[Hughesy]

Samba, Givet, Diouf, McCarthy have probably been our best players so far under Sam.

Not 1 of them is local - and 2 of them are his signings.

[Paul]

Go on then Paul... put your twist onto mhead's post and explain.......

My twist as you put it is this. We are watching a team that needs five wins and two draws to survive from the next thirteen games. Anything from Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool will be a bonus, beating Everton at home would be an unlikely Godsend. That leaves us with needing five wins and two draws out of nine matches. The City and United games aside I've yet to see any real signs we are going to achieve the target nor have we seen much committment from the players. Given that I'd feel a whole lot happier cheering on local players who might have a bit of passion about them.

You think this squad has got seventeen points in it? I don't, I think we're going down and I'd say the players have to shoulder a lot of the blame. So if I seem a bit fed up with things it's because I am. Our best hope is three other sides perform worse than we do.

[Hughesy]

Ok - but what has that got to do with mheads post about Local lads, giving them more time etc?

Dont worry 3 teams will perform worse than us. West Brom, Boro & Stoke/ Hull to go down.

[Paul]

Given that I'd feel a whole lot happier cheering on local players who might have a bit of passion about them.

That's what it has to do with it. Personally I like watching Gally and he might provide a spark in midfield which is completely lacking at present. Beattie is aobviously a long, long time ago but it saddens me we shipped him out. Darbyshire didn't get a fair crack of the whip.

[mhead]

If a Premier League squad is now at least 22 players then of the 4 Blackburn lads(Beattie went to QEGS) only Dunny has had a fair chance:

-playing Mattie as a winger was farcical

-Gally is no slower than Vegel,Grella and Tugay and a clever,angle-making footballer(the pass to Stead for that Man U goal)

-Beattie was debued against Arsenal(and Anelka) on fire and had little chance after that.

Saying we have been patient with them is fighting gravity...just map out Gally's matches over 7 years.

Anyway 4 guys playing for their home team would be exciting and give the fans some feeling of commitment AND the Basques have been keen on this for years as a way of keeping a little closer to the Big City clubs of Spain and we sure need some extra dimension cos we cannot compete othewise.

[Eddie]

You really think that players who come through Academies usually care about the clubs that they play for? I've been involved in academy football and can assure you that for the majority of players the club where they train as a youngster is simply their stepping stone. Sure, they'd all love to break into the first team, but it doesn't convert them into supporters. I'd love to see players involved who were truly passionate about the club, but first they have to be good enough (which strikes our everyone who has been recently mentioned). If we want to try and get homegrown players involved then we need to review and improve the academy, not waste time crossing our fingers on a bunch of players who aren't quite up to it.

[Alan75]

You really think that players who come through Academies usually care about the clubs that they play for? I've been involved in academy football and can assure you that for the majority of players the club where they train as a youngster is simply their stepping stone. Sure, they'd all love to break into the first team, but it doesn't convert them into supporters. I'd love to see players involved who were truly passionate about the club, but first they have to be good enough (which strikes our everyone who has been recently mentioned). If we want to try and get homegrown players involved then we need to review and improve the academy, not waste time crossing our fingers on a bunch of players who aren't quite up to it.

Eddie your missing the point, the players mentioned Beattie,Dunn, Gally and Derbyshire were / are Rovers supporters brought up within shouting distance of the club.

Heck Derbyshire was offered a trial with Burnley before Rovers approached him and he refused to go to Turf Moor.

[stuwilky]

You really think that players who come through Academies usually care about the clubs that they play for? I've been involved in academy football and can assure you that for the majority of players the club where they train as a youngster is simply their stepping stone. Sure, they'd all love to break into the first team, but it doesn't convert them into supporters. I'd love to see players involved who were truly passionate about the club, but first they have to be good enough (which strikes our everyone who has been recently mentioned). If we want to try and get homegrown players involved then we need to review and improve the academy, not waste time crossing our fingers on a bunch of players who aren't quite up to it.

You are quite right in most cases - but to say all cannot be true. Some of the youngsters in discussion are Blackburn Rovers supporters. They cannot be compared to someone signed at 10 from some scouted team 80 miles away. Which academy were you involved at?

[Hughesy]

If a Premier League squad is now at least 22 players then of the 4 Blackburn lads(Beattie went to QEGS) only Dunny has had a fair chance:

-playing Mattie as a winger was farcical

-Gally is no slower than Vegel,Grella and Tugay and a clever,angle-making footballer(the pass to Stead for that Man U goal)

-Beattie was debued against Arsenal(and Anelka) on fire and had little chance after that.

Saying we have been patient with them is fighting gravity...just map out Gally's matches over 7 years.

Derbyshire – has played striker and winger. Regardless of whether he was on the wing or upfront, he has always had chances, and more often than not – he hasn’t taken them. He has got the odd important goal, like Newcastle away last year, but generally he isn’t good enough and against any team who are top 10 – he looks average at best. From 2004-2008 he has played 70 games and scored 11 goals.

Gally – What has pace got to do with it? The lad was given plenty of chances, its just he has been here that long you cant remember them. At first he showed real promise but then seemed to lose his head, like he had already made it, when infact he hadn’t become the great player he could have been. From 2002-2007 – Gallagher has featured in 64 games and scored 6 goals. He has hardly set the championship alight either – in 84 games getting 19 goals. So in total of 148 games, he has scored 25 goals (19 of which came at a lowed level). Think that tells you what level he should be playing at!

Beattie – I agree didn’t get much time and should of probably been given more. He played 4 first team games for us, scoring 0. He then went to Southampton and didn’t score a goal for 18 months. He then went on a scoring run, scoring 10 in 10, but then after that he went 17 games without a goal. Is this amount of time he would have been given with us? I doubt we could have afforded the same patience with him.

[EwoodGlory]

Pompey in trouble according to Nicko's article in the Mirror today.

I don't like to see clubs in trouble, but administration and a 10 point deduction could be very handy for us.

Portsmouth facing financial crisis as £25million loan is called in

Portsmouth facing financial crisis as £25million loan is called in

Portsmouth owner Sacha Gaydamak is facing a financial crisis - with South African backers Standard Bank set to demand their £25million loan back.

The bank could ask for repayment within the next few days, and Pompey are so concerned they are believed to have contacted the Premier League for help.

The bank have seen Pompey sell Lassana Diarra and Jermain Defoe, with the money going to other clubs who were owed money from previous transfer dealings.

Now the Standard Bank want to be sure they get their money back - as Gaydamak considers selling the club.

And they also have the power to step in if the cash is not returned, with dire consequences.

Financial sources believe that the bank could ask for an administrator to be appointed to reclaim their millions, and if that process is started soon - possibly next week - then there is the risk of a 10-point penalty.

Gaydamak is trying to find a buyer for Portsmouth and has just turned down an approach from ex-footballer Ramon Vega and his investment group. The former Swiss international only wanted to take on the club's debts without pumping in more cash.

Despite their cash woes, Peter Crouch has pledged his future to the club.

Sam Allardyce wanted to take the England striker to Blackburn last month, but Crouch said: "I love it here, I really do. I genuinely love playing for Portsmouth.

"As long as we improve this season and next season, I can seemy future at Portsmouth for a long, long time."

[Hughesy]

Administration to a premier league club?

What like when West Ham were skint? But then broke their record to sign that Italian striker?

Il believe it IF/ When we see it!!

[67splitscreen]

Administration to a premier league club?

What like when West Ham were skint? But then broke their record to sign that Italian striker?

Il believe it IF/ When we see it!!

Yep! rules are rules, except where the premier league are concerned, NO BALLS.

[Hughesy]

I dont even think it would get to that stage to be honest.

Phil - How does the latest figures affect Arsenal? Profit up by £4m or so, but their loan is going to need an extension I believe?

[Eddie]

Not about football and not the most detailed article out there, but still an interesting look at how the financial pressures are starting to take the front seat in sports

[Paul]

Received an e-mail, on my business address, from Manchester United offering corporate boxes for rest of 08/09 season and offering boxes for the whole of the 09/10 season.

Made me smile but it's a sign of the times, not because I'm a Rover but because we are a very small business that under most circumstances would not even be a blip on the MU radar. I know a guy who has four very good STs at OT as a business thing and he's giving them up next season as a cost saving measure.

[jodrell]

Is it a July sale Not lookimg good for Liverpool

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_5010548,00.html

[philipl]

Is it a July sale Not lookimg good for Liverpool

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_5010548,00.html

As forecast, the Kuwaitis are probably going to get Hicks and Gillett to pay them to take Liverpool off their hands by the time July comes round.

There is nowhere for the £325m in loan rolling to come from against no new stadium with Hicks and Gillett still there.

[philipl]

Three big developments today.

West Ham's ultimate parent might be put into liquidation today which will not cause any points deductions for WHam but accelerate a forced sale and might put an owner in charge who could see administration for WHam as advantageous. There is a complex interaction with the damages decision for Sheff U due on 16 March, 18 other law suits against West Ham and the new disciplinary hearing looking into what happened after WHam got fined by the PL.

Arsenal on the otherhand seem to be getting good news on sale of 120 flats in the Highbury Square development today which will keep their Emirates project within plan.

Valencia have come clean and admitted they have stopped paying wages. At last the fire sale of players might finally happen. I know the PL rightly gets lambasted for how it runs itself but for outlandish cowboy carry ons look no further than Spain or Italy.

[ace]

I wager that West Ham get a 3 month "final" extension from the Icelandic Court today..otherwise it would be "unfair to their fans"!

[Hughesy]

Good job we missed out on Chris Ronnie

"JJB also fired chief, Christopher Ronnie, for gross misconduct.

Mr Ronnie failed to disclose the timing of a sale of his shares in the company, which contravened disclosure rules, JJB said."

[Neil Weaver]

Good job we missed out on Chris Ronnie

"JJB also fired chief, Christopher Ronnie, for gross misconduct.

Mr Ronnie failed to disclose the timing of a sale of his shares in the company, which contravened disclosure rules, JJB said."

Aye, that was a month or so ago Hughesy.